NC State LT Anthony Belton will not start vs. NIU after ejection
NC State graduate left tackle Anthony Belton was ejected in the second quarter of the Wolfpack’s 59-35 loss at No. 21 Clemson on Saturday for “spitting on an opponent.” Now, he will not start against Northern Illinois as a result.
“I was really disappointed in Anthony Belton’s response,” NC State coach Dave Doeren said Monday. “Things happen on the pile and all kinds of things happen. We all know as players, and Anthony knows, the guy that retaliates is always the one that gets penalized. A tough lesson for him. He put strain on our team and got ejected for the game for it.”
Belton, a key piece of the Wolfpack’s offensive line, entered the year as one of the top tackles in college football. He was slotted as a preseason first-round pick by ESPN, generating draft buzz around NFL teams due to his elite athleticism at his 6-foot-6, 356-pound frame.
For Doeren, the penalty and ejection is not characteristic of Belton’s usual temperament. But since it happened, there are ripple effects that follow. And snapping his 17-game starting streak is part of the Pack’s way of handling the situation.
“Choices have consequences,” Doeren said. “It’s something he’ll have to learn from, improve himself and come back from it and be better for it. That’s not a representation of him. He’s a great young man who made a bad mistake, and he’ll pay for it.”
Belton played just 35 snaps at left tackle before his early exit. He allowed two quarterback pressures, both of which resulted in a sack, against the Tigers.
Once he was out of the game, NC State had to reshuffle its offensive front. Redshirt sophomore right tackle Jacarrius Peak moved to left tackle, while graduate right guard Timothy McKay slid to right tackle — where he used to play on the Pack’s line. NC State then inserted Missouri transfer Val Erickson at right guard, where he played the final 37 snaps.
Erickson, a redshirt sophomore that played just seven offensive snaps through the first three games, could see a bigger role this week. He is a likely candidate to start at right guard with Belton not a part of the first five offensive linemen to take the field.
The Chicago native did not allow a quarterback pressure in his 21 pass-blocking snaps against Clemson. He earned an 82.7 pass blocking mark from Pro Football Focus for his effort, which was the second highest on the offense this past week (just behind center Peak’s 85.1).
It is unclear how many snaps Belton will be on the sideline for this weekend, but Doeren hopes that the veteran offensive lineman learns from his ejection and can grow in the future.
“That’s just not what we do,” Doeren said of the ejection. “He’ll learn from that and he’ll grow from that. Our hope is he’ll grow from it. … When things get heated, you’ve got to respond, not react. Take a second, take a breath.”
